Estella Carpi and Maurizio Marinelli Awarded Funding for Food Security and Decarbonisation Research

A research project led by Professor Maurizio Marinelli (The Bartlett's Institute for Global Prosperity) and Estella Carpi, Associate Professor in Humanitarian Studies at UCL RDR, has secured £49,974 through UCL’s Grand Challenges for Climate Change pump-priming call. The project, titled 'Leveraging Bottom-up Food Markets to Build Resilience and Decarbonisation in Food Systems: Lessons from London', will run from April 2025 to July 2026.

The interdisciplinary research team includes Dr Liza Griffin from The Bartlett's Development Planning Unit and Dr Selçuk Çıdık from The Bartlett School for Sustainable Construction.

Building upon the Institute for Global Prosperity’s existing work on ‘Food as a Human Right for All’, the project will investigate how local food markets can serve as practical testing grounds for developing innovative policies and practices that address food insecurity while simultaneously promoting decarbonisation. The research acknowledges that food markets, as critical points of food production, distribution, and consumption, offer valuable insights for addressing climate-related food challenges.

The study will examine how bottom-up market solutions can strengthen social resilience, reduce emissions, and promote food justice, ensuring equitable access to sustainable, nutritious food. Through a participatory approach, the researchers will engage market stakeholders and policymakers, map existing resilience strategies, and co-design equitable, low-carbon solutions.

The project will unfold in two phases:

• Identifying barriers and collaboratively designing adaptive solutions for equitable, low-carbon food market practices.
• Developing policy recommendations, forecasting climate change impacts on food systems, and proposing resilient, alternative strategies.

The research aims to leverage insights from London for broader application across the UK and globally, forming the basis for future research funding on food market resilience and sustainability.

This project honours the memory of Cristobal Diaz Martinez, the dedicated Research Assistant who suddenly passed away. All project outcomes will be dedicated to his memory, kindness and commitment.

More information

• View Dr Estella Carpi's UCL Profile
• View Prof Maurizio Marinelli's UCL Profile
• The Bartlett's Institute for Global Prosperity
• Learn more about UCL Grand Challenges

Image: Pauline Bernfeld on Unsplash